Charts: The Staggering Cost of Death Row for California Taxpayers

I recently came across an ambitious infographic created by the California Innocence Project following the failure of state Proposition 34, which, had it passed last November, would have abolished the death penalty in California. Voters weren't quite ready to go there—they rejected Prop. 34 by a 52-48 margin. Yet nearly 6 million Californians voted to do away with capital punishment, the administration of which has been fraught with problems, and which has huge budget implications in a state struggling mightily to fund essentials like public education.

The infographic is worth revisiting in light of California's policy on capital punishment remaining status quo. The Innocence Project, a program of California Western Law School that aims to identify wrongfully convicted prisoners and work toward their release, presents the facts here as they apply to California, whose death row population even dwarfs that of Texas. (Although Texas executes more people by far than any other state.) The numbers are stark, to say the least:

1. I strongly supported Prop 34. Actually thought it would pass. Was sorry to see it fall.

The death penalty is probably the most prominent legislative/political issue that I am clearly opposed to, across the board. I thought the financial argument, given our state's finances, could be a deciding factor. It was close. Next time, I guess.

2. Have been many nuisance challenges of death penalty sentences

This comment won't be popular, but I'll say it anyway. I'm am 100% in favor of any appeals or additional investigation that may question a person's guilt. It is shocking what has happened in Texas over the years, for example.

However, I keep reading about endless appeals of death penalty sentences based upon the most petty of technical claims, none of which have anything to do with innocence or guilt. I'm talking about multiple murderers where there is 100% evidence of guilt. Some of these appeals have to do with one sentence said by a judge or a prosecutor during a trial. These challenges seem to have more to do with running up the cost to the counties and states of carrying out a death penalty sentence than questioning someone's guilt. I also understand that many of these challenges are funded by the federal government?